I posted this quick review on my Facebook page last week:
Apple Blossom Wovens Heirloom Fuchsia came to me totally broken in and super floppy, which is exactly what I expected from a Tencel blend. Compared to the linen Heirloom that I hosted earlier, this wrap is much softer and more stretchy. I generally do not like Tencel in machine woven wraps, but this is an exception (as it seems all ABWs are to my preferences!).
Apple Blossom Wovens Heirloom Fuchsia bumshot.
I used Fuchsia to wrap my 33+ lbs LittlerHill in Wendy’s Double Hammock with a candy cane chest belt. As I made the seat I could feel the stretch – it is a very stretchy wrap, a quality I usually have a hard time with, so I was concerned about sag with my heavy guy. However, as I made the chest pass, it was clear that this stretch was going to work in my favor – it wraps like an ace bandage, with super snugness and nice grippiness so that my tightening was effective but not overly so.
Apple Blossom Wovens Heirloom Fuchsia.
The width was very helpful in getting my passes in place with a tall wrappee (over 38”), and tying off gave a medium sized CCCB.
Apple Blossom Wovens Heirloom Fuchsia in a candy cane chest belt.
On our walk to preschool, I was pleasantly surprised that Fuchsia did not sag at all, event with the amount of stretch it has. Zero sagging. This wrap is super comfortable in multipass carries with a larger wrappee, and I think would be wonderful with a smaller wrappee or even a newborn in any size. Tencel makes for a soft wrap that is easy to break in, and that is perfect for any wrapper that wants something cushy and ace bandagey, and wants a soft, floppy wrap after the first wash and wear ?
Apple Blossom Wovens Heirloom Fuchsia pleats itself!
I’ve had the pleasure of representing Apple Blossom Wovens as a Brand Ambassador for a little while now, and it has been a wonderful, eye-opening experience! Hopefully you’ve seen some of my pictures of me loving Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft on my Instagram and Facebook page, but I am going to give a full review here.
Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft took us out for coffee on the snowiest day this winter in NYC.
I will begin with a confession: I am a reformed linen hater. I can’t even classify this feeling as a strong dislike – it used to be that if a wrap was a linen blend, then it was not not not for me. I found linen too hard to wrap with, too stiff, too diggy, and I could hardly even wear a linen blend wrap long enough to tell if it was supportive, but I was sure it was not. Hrumph. I would read reviews from people raving about linen blends, and I just thought, “Oh well, we just must have different taste in wraps…thank goodness for hemp!” (I still love hemp blends.) Just so that you don’t think I came to this conclusion hastily, it is important for me to say that I tried *a lot* of linen blends, and even some of the “all-star” linen woven wraps (Yew for example). Even with all of that, linen blends were still not for me…
Eye rubbing during an early morning walk in Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft.
Until now y’all! I am a changed woman!!!! When I became a Brand Ambassador for ABW, I chose Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft because 1) I love black wefts, 2) I thought, “well, if I hate it maybe I can trade it when I’m done with my ambassadorship”, and 3) I also thought, “maybe this will be a good challenge for me because I will have to wrap with it!”
Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft is super supportive and allows me to carry my big kiddo on my back with ease.
As usual, I was right (haha)! When I received UTSv2, I was immediately blown away by the colors. The black weft gives it deep jewel tones and the gradation is gorgeous, but I have to say that it was not love at first wrap. After a wash and steam iron, it was pretty soft and I mistakenly thought that was close to as broken in as it would get. I like to break in wraps by just wrapping with them – getting sweaty while battling a new wrap is a great workout. When I wrapped with it the first couple of times, I fought against the grip and found tightening well to be quite challenging. I was frustrated, but I persevered and it was totally worth the extra work. UTSv2 broke in nicely and now I am *very* excited to see how it takes us into the hot, sweaty weather of Summer in NYC. This is going to be my first summer with a linen wrap that I like to wear!
Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft, under the sea!Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft has taken us many places this winter. Here we were on our way to the American Museum of Natural History!
It is worth mentioning some of the qualities that I love about UTSv2: it is not diggy *at all*, it is super supportive with my big kiddo and much less stretchy than the cotton weft UTS that I reviewed here, but UTSv2 still maintains its ability to make a killer chest pass (even over bulky winter clothes). Possibly my favorite thing about it is the color – it’s beautiful…
Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft makes an amazing chest pass over a fleece jacket.
I have mostly worn UTSv2 in my favorite back carry, Wendy’s Double Hammock with a candy cane chest belt (Wendy’s DH CCCB), and I even made a tutorial for this carry (my first tutorial!). I have also experimented with Double Hammock Freshwater Finish, and UTSv2 has been awesome in that carry too. In the months that I have had UTSv2, I have yet to get LittlerHill in a front carry with any success, but I promise to update with my thoughts if it happens.
Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft in a Double Hammock carry with a Freshwater finish.
I recommend this wrap for every wrapper, and any size wrappee! It is very easy to work with once broken in, thin enough for a new wrapper, sturdy enough for a big kiddo but soft enough for an infant, and has different colored rails for a newer wrapper to more easily be able to keep track while strand by strand tightening.
Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft in my favorite back carry, Wendy’s Double Hammock with a Candy Cane Chest Belt.
I hosted a tester for the new Simplicity Line that Apple Blossom Wovens will be released soon. It’s very exciting to get to share my opinions on a new wrap, and to possibly influence the final choices that a weaver is going to make about its production! The first release will be called Midnight Sky, and from the inspiration photo and mockup yarns, it is going to be incredibly gorgeous!
Midnight Sky inspiration photo for the first wrap in Apple Blossom Woven’s new Simplicity Line.Midnight Sky warp yarns for the first colorway in the new Simplicity Line by Apple Blossom Wovens.
The tester that I received was just simply blue and white, not a gorgeous gradient like the first release will be, but I was struck by the beauty of such a simple color choice.
The Simplicity Line tester was woven in blue and white, but even these basic colors give such a beautiful wrap!
My first impression of this wrap was that it might be too thin for me, a thick-wrap-lover, and my giant toddler…but when we wrapped with it I was blown away. I have never experienced anything like this – it was so thin and moldable, but was also super supportive in a multilayer carry. I talked briefly with Lisa at ABW about the thickness, and she said that the final version of the Simplicity Line may be woven with one extra thread per inch. I love thicker wraps so a slightly thicker wrap would definitely be fine with me! But really, even with an extra thread per inch this wrap is definitely going to be a great choice for a beginner wrapper, no matter what size the wrapee happens to be. This tester is on the wider side but was still very manageable because of how incredible floppy it is – I think width can make or break a mediocre wrap job, because every extra centimeter helps keep that seat from popping, especially for a beginner wrapper and/or a wrapper with a larger wrapee ! The wrap qualities are very similar to the other ABW traveler I hosted, Under The Sea, with just some small differences. Overall, both ABW wraps impressed me with their beauty, quality, and WQs! I can only imagine how amazing the Midnight Sky warp is going to look, and I am very excited to see that and future upcoming releases of the new Simplicity Line at ABW!
What a smooshy candy cane chest belt, and effortless shoulder pleats.A single knot was sufficient for quick ups in a double hammock.
I was lucky enough to host two travellers from Apple Blossom Wovens! This is a review of the first – Under The Sea, 100% cotton. My first impression was *WOW* this wrap is seriously gorgeous! The colors are unbelievable – it is striking how smooth the gradient is, especially for a machine woven wrap. Also unlike most machine woven wraps, UTS has unhemmed rails, which I find easier to work with when sliding passes over each other.
Our first excursion was on one of our early morning walks to preschool. This requires a tired Mombie wrapping a tired LittlerHill quickly, to get out the door. We tried a double hammock variation, Wendy’s Double Hammock with a candy cane chest belt, and this wrap rocked in a multipass carry with my heavy toddler. UTS did great – the passes were easy to spread, but stayed in place while I took my time tightening. The stretch in this weave was excellent for creating a beautiful, tight chest pass, and offered great support without being diggy on my picky shoulders.
The blue-turquoise-green gradient is especially beautiful in the sunlight !
Our walk was very comfortable. I usually prefer thick wraps with less stretch so that I do not have to retighten my carry, but UTS really impressed me. It definitely has a significant amount of stretch, but I didn’t feel like it needed to be retightened at all! Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at both the beauty and the wrap qualities of UTS. This would make an excellent beginner wrap, and the thickness and texture make it almost wrap itself! It is also a great wrap for more advanced wrappers because the passes glide by each other but stay in place for multipass carries. I hope to try more gorgeous wraps from ABW in the future!
Bum shot of Apple Blossom Wovens Under The Sea Turquoise cotton weft.Apple Blossom Wovens Under The Sea, turquoise cotton weft.
